A requirement for modelling the chemical behavior of groundwater in a nuclear waste repository is accurate thermodynamic data pertaining to the participating minerals and aqueous species. In particular, it is important that the thermodynamic properties of the aluminate ion be accurately determined, because most rock forming minerals in the earth's crust are aluminosilicates, and most groundwaters are neutral to slightly alkaline, where the aluminate ion is the predominant aluminum species in solution. Without a precise knowledge of the thermodynamic properties of the aluminate ion aluminosilicate mineral solubilities cannot be determined. The thermochemical properties of the aluminate ion have been determined from the solubilities of the aluminum hydroxides and oxyhydroxides in alkaline solutions between 20 and 350/degree/C. An internally consistent set of thermodynamic properties have been determined for gibbsite, boehmite, diaspore and corundum. The thermodynamic properties of bayerite have been provisionally estimated and a preliminary value for ..delta..G/sub f, 298//sup 0/ of nordstrandite has been determined. 205 refs., 17 figs., 25 tabs.

A requirement for modelling the chemical behavior of groundwater in a nuclear waste repository is accurate thermodynamic data pertaining to the participating minerals and aqueous species. In particular, it is important that the thermodynamic properties of the aluminate ion be accurately determined, because most rock forming minerals in the earth's crust are aluminosilicates, and most groundwaters are neutral to slightly alkaline, where the aluminate ion is the predominant aluminum species in solution. Without a precise knowledge of the thermodynamic properties of the aluminate ion aluminosilicate mineral solubilities cannot be determined. The thermochemical properties of the aluminate ion have been determined from the solubilities of the aluminum hydroxides and oxyhydroxides in alkaline solutions between 20 and 350/degree/C. An internally consistent set of thermodynamic properties have been determined for gibbsite, boehmite, diaspore and corundum. The thermodynamic properties of bayerite have been provisionally estimated and a preliminary value for ΔG/sub f, 298/ 0 of nordstrandite has been determined. 205 refs., 17 figs., 25 tabs

dissolution tests. Most of the {sup 99}Tc and {sup 137}Cs present in the initial heel solids composites was removed in the water dissolution tests. The estimated activities/weights of {sup 129}I, {sup 234}U, {sup 235}U, {sup 236}U, and {sup 238}U in the dry residual solids were <25% of the weights/activities in the initial composite solids. Gibbsite and nordstrandite [both Al(OH){sub 3}] were the major solid phases identified in the solids remaining after completion of the dissolution tests. Chemical analysis indicated that the residual solids may have contained up to 62 wt% Al(OH){sub 3}. Significant quantities of unidentified phosphate-, iron-, bismuth-, silicon-, and strontium- bearing species were also present in the residual solids. The reference density of gibbsite (and nordstrandite) is 2.42 g/mL. The measured density of the residual solids, 2.65 g/mL, would be a reasonable value for solids containing gibbsite as the major component with minor quantities of other, higher density solids. Sieve analysis indicated that 22.2 wt% of the residual solids were discrete particles >710 μm in size, and 77.8 wt% were particulates <710 μm in size. Light-scattering measurements suggested that nearly all of the <710-μm particulates with diameters >12 μm were weakly bound aggregates of particles with diameters <2 μm. The <710-μm residual solids settled very slowly when dispersed in reagent water. The physical appearance of a suspension containing ≈0.4 vol% of the solids in pure water changed very little over a period of 46.5 hours. It should be noted that the distribution of particle sizes in the residual solids and the observed settling behavior were both strongly influenced by the procedures followed in the dissolution tests.